The present invention relates to a fault detection system that detects a fault or deterioration in a semiconductor module, particularly in an inverter, and to the operation method of an inverter system with a plurality of inverters.
An inverter has been used widely, for example, to save energy in, and increase the functionality of, the power system of a train. One of the important problems of an inverter is to increase the reliability of a semiconductor module in the main circuit. A conventional way to ensure reliability is to make a fatigue test to evaluate performance in order to prevent the semiconductor module from being destroyed during system operation. However, the life of a semiconductor module depends largely on the usage condition and varies widely according to the semiconductor modules. Those problems sometimes result in the sudden destruction of a semiconductor module during system operation and stop the system.
One of main fault modes of a semiconductor module is a semiconductor chip destruction caused by an insufficient radiation. This is caused by a long-time thermal fatigue that generates cracks in the soldering layer attaching the semiconductor chip onto the radiation fin, and those cracks sometimes result in the semiconductor chip being improperly attached. Similar problems have arisen in the semiconductor module of an integrated circuit, such as a CPU, where processing power is significantly increased and the heat generation is a problem.
To solve those problems, JP-A-7-14948 proposes deterioration detection means for detecting a temperature rise in the members of a semiconductor module and, from the change with time, detects deteriorations. JP-A-8-126337 proposes a life estimation method that, with a temperature sensor on a semiconductor module, adds up the thermal stresses actually added to a semiconductor module and, from the resulting value, estimates the life.
The method described in JP-A-7-14948 requires a plurality of temperature sensors, making the detection means in an inverter, composed of a plurality of semiconductor modules, more costly and complicated.
Although the method described in JP-A-8-126337 shows the history of temperatures that caused cracks in the soldering layer, it does not show the degree of deterioration. Another problem is that, because the deterioration of semiconductor modules varies widely, a semiconductor module is sometimes destroyed before the thermal stress reaches the upper limit value. Conversely, a semiconductor module sometimes does not deteriorate at all even when the thermal stress reaches the upper limit. In the latter case, replacing the semiconductor module when the estimated life terminates does not exploit the full capabilities of the semiconductor module.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simply structured, low-cost fault detection system capable of directly detecting the deterioration of a semiconductor module without using many detection means.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fault detection system that detects a temperature increase rate when a loss is generated using a temperature sensor installed on a semiconductor module and, when the relation between the loss and the temperature rise rate falls out of a predetermined range, judges that a deterioration or a fault has occurred in the semiconductor module.
More specifically, the semiconductor-module fault detection system according to the aspect described above comprises a semiconductor module; a temperature sense device installed on the semiconductor module; temperature measuring means for reading a temperature from the temperature sense device; and fault detecting means for detecting a deterioration or a fault of the semiconductor module based on the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means and an operation command issued to the semiconductor module.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor-module fault detection system comprising a semiconductor module; a temperature sense device installed on the semiconductor module; temperature measuring means for reading a temperature from the temperature sense device; temperature rise rate detecting means for calculating a temperature rise rate from the temperature measured by the temperature measuring means; loss calculating means for calculating a loss generated in the semiconductor module; and fault detecting means for detecting a deterioration or a fault of the semiconductor module based on the temperature rise rate and the loss.
According to the other aspect of the present invention described above, the semiconductor-module fault detection system judges that an abnormal condition has occurred if the temperature rise rate as compared with the loss is larger or smaller than a predetermined range.
According to a still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor-module fault detection system comprising a semiconductor module; a temperature sense device installed on the semiconductor module; temperature measuring means or reading a temperature from the temperature sense device; loss calculating means for calculating a loss generated in the semiconductor module; temperature estimating means for estimating a temperature of the semiconductor module from the loss; and fault detecting means for detecting a deterioration or a fault of the semiconductor modules based on the estimated temperature and the measured temperature.
The semiconductor-module fault detection system described above judges that an abnormal condition has occurred if an absolute value of a difference between the estimated temperature and the measured temperature as compared with the loss is larger than a predetermined range.
The semiconductor-module fault detection system described above has the temperature sense device installed on a cooling fin of the semiconductor module.
According to a still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inverter system with a plurality of inverters, a processor that controls the inverters, and an information transmission line over which the inverters and the processor are connected, wherein each of the inverters has the fault detection system described above and the processor changes a command value issued to each inverter according to deteriorations or a faults in the semiconductor module of the inverter.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.